The Great Christmas Tour
by GoldMedalNinja
Summary: Come on come all, as we witness these young college students visit each other's families for the holidays. Chaos ensues. College AU.
1. Let it Snow? How Bout No

**Not sure how to explain why I've been putting this off. I blame three things:**

 **-College**

 **-Video games**

 **-Hamilton**

 **Luckily, I made it so this fic will extend into New Years and after. I have a month before classes start again.**

 **This takes place in my College AU. Here's a quick rundown of things you need to know:**

 **-When Nya and Kai's parents died, they were raised in separate foster homes, not knowing what happened to each other until their sophomore year of college (Nya is a year younger but she graduated high school early). Nya was raised by Garmadon and his family, Kai was raised by Wu.**

 **-Nya had transferred to this school from a school in Ignacia in order to be closer to her foster family after they moved to the city, so she didn't meet the gang until their sophomore year. Kai lived in Ninjago after he was taken in by Wu.**

 **-Kai is a player and massive pain in the ass in the beginning. He's not part of the main friend group yet.**

 **-A major fight led to Wu and Garmadon not contacting each other for the past 17 years. So Wu doesn't know about Lloyd or Nya, and Garmadon doesn't know about Kai**

 **-Zane and Jay are cousins in this, and Zane lived at the junkyard after his father died.**

 **-Chen isn't a war criminal, he's a serial rapist who didn't get thrown in jail until Skylor was in college.**

 **-This is still Ninjago, but the FSM didn't create it. So Wu and Garmadon are normal people.**

 **-Cole, Jay, Zane, Skylor, Kai, Bri (OC), and Nya are sophomores, Luna (OC) is a freshman, and Lloyd and Maria (OC), as well as some future characters are seniors in high school.**

 **That's all you need to know right now. I plan on revealing a few of those future characters in this fic, so stay tuned.**

* * *

Squad

britheknight: Guys I have an idea.

touchtheSky: oh no.

BStone3T: that can't be good.

britheknight: thanks. Love u 2

britheknight: anyways, you know how we all have things we want to do winter break?

LightningMouth: you mean like meeting each other's families and the Walker New Years bash?

ZJulien: Jay, it's typically just you, me, and your family. That's hardly a bash.

LightningMouth: ugh. thank you Zane.

SamuraiSmith: where are you going with this Bri?

britheknight: thank you for asking Nya. May I present the idea of the Grand Christmas Tour! Six days at my house, six days at Cole's house, three days with our families (Christmas eve, Christmas Day, day after), six days at Jay's (including New Year's Eve), and six days at Nya's before we come back to campus and wallow in our exam shame.

ZJulien: I passed all my exams.

britheknight: not my point Zane. Anyways, are we down? My dad can rent the van for us.

SamuraiSmith: I'm down. I need to get away from here for a while anyways.

BStone3T: want me to kick kai's ass again for you

SamuraiSmith: no thank you Cole. I'm pretty sure passive ignorance is getting the job done.

BStone3T: count me in. I can't wait to meet your fam.

britheknight: can't wait to meet yours too baby

LightningMouth: this chat was not made for you two to get all mushy. Anyways I'm in.

ZJulien: I guess I am in, too.

britheknight: Jay you stink.

britheknight: otherwise awesome! Skylor?

touchtheSky: can't. Luna invited to spend Christmas with her family.

britheknight: we could include her in the tour

touchtheSky: she lives in jamanikai. You're families are all in the city. You guys can do this without me.

britheknight: alright. Let's figure details out tomorrow. Can't wait!

* * *

The drive was only supposed to take an hour. Just a simple drive from the campus to the suburbs on the other side of the city.

Boy were they wrong.

Let's start at the beginning:

"Okay, are we all set? Remember, we are trying to not make any stops." Bri asked the gang as they all got in the car.

"We're all set." Zane said. He and Cole climbed in the back, Jay and Nya had the middle row, and Bri had the front seat.

"Guys. Seriously? Who's driving?" Bri asked.

"I've never driven on snow before." Nya told them.

"Last time I did, I got in a wreck." Jay said.

"For goodness sake," Cole climbed out of the backseat and got into the driver's seat before starting the car. "Are we all good? No full bladders, no hunger pangs, no last minute need of car maintenance? No? Good."

The ride was peaceful for ten minutes. Bri was quietly singing along with the radio while navigating, Zane was meditating (?) in the backseat, Jay was playing a game on his phone, and Nya was nodding off with her headphones in.

Then chaos started.

"You're kidding me. Who has to be anywhere at 7:00 in the morning when there's SNOW?!" Cole shouted before honking the horn.

"People have lives, Cole." Bri said while pulling out her phone to look for alternate routes.

"Guys I have to pee." Jay said.

"Jay, we asked you if you had to go when we left." Nya told him.

"I didn't have to go then!"

"Cole, I don't know if you noticed, but the tank's almost empty." Zane pointed out.

"What?!" Sure enough, there was less than an eighth of a tank left. "This is just great."

"Ooh, there's a Bucees nearby." Bri said.

"Yes! I love Bucees!" Jay said.

"What's Bucees?" Nya asked.

Bri gave her a look of sympathy. "Oh, honey, you've missed out."

Cole groaned. So much for only taking an hour.

"Fine. Let's go to Bucees."

The car cheered.

* * *

Cole leaned against the car as he filled the tank. The others had been in the store for 10 minutes now. He turned when he heard footsteps to see his girlfriend with two coffee cups and a small bag.

"I got you your favorite." She handed him one of the cups. "Mocha with hazelnut, correct?"

"You're too good to me." He said as he took a sip. She took a sip of hers, too. "Where are the others?"

"I saw Nya near the kolaches, and Jay arguing with Zane about breakfast tacos."

"Why don't we have normal friends?" He asked.

"Hey, they were your friends first. You introduced me, remember?" Bri reminded him. She had met Cole after her breakup with Kai, and then Cole had introduced her to the others before they started dating.

"How can I forget?"

They chuckled before Bri spoke up again.

"You okay? You seemed agitated in the car."

Cole groaned. "I'm just...nervous."

"About what?" She asked, even thought she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"I'm meeting my girlfriend's father. Wouldn't you be nervous?"

"Sure, if I had a girlfriend." He gave her a look. "I get it. I'm worried about meeting your family, too."

"They'll love you."

"Yeah, well I'm afraid I'll annoy your father with my endless fangirling."

"About what?"

"I lived and breathed Royal Blacksmiths when I was younger. They were my idols."

Cole rolled his eyes. She had told him this when they met. "Again, they'll love you."

"And my family will love you. Just like I do."

"I love you, too." They closed the gap between them and locked their lips.

"Was that really necessary, Jay? We already ate before we left."

"But it's breakfast tacos, Zane! Nya, you understand, right?"

"Leave me out of this, Blue Boy."

The couple broke as their friends came out of the store. Cole finished paying for the gas and then they were off again.

 **First chapter done. I have the next couple chapters already written, so expect those soon. I just need to get the pre-Christmas stuff before Christmas, then the New Years and after stuff before I start school again.**

 **If you didn't pick it up yet, Jay and Nya are not dating yet. That will change soon.**

 **Bucce's is a very popular southern rest stop known for its bathrooms. I live in Texas and love it. So I just had to include it.**

 **Any questions should be left by review or PM. I will do my best to answer them without spoiling anything.**

 **See you next chapter.**

 **-Gold Medal Ninja**


	2. Family Matters and Mishaps

***alarms in the distance* CHRISTMAS IN FOUR DAYS PEOPLE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!**

 **Yeah, I should have posted this chapter three days ago. But then Rogue One happened (epic by the way), I was lazy on Monday (not to mention my brother almost broke my freakin laptop by slamming it shut while I was playing Sims), and yesterday I had to babysit (took the kid to Storks, it was beautiful, not to mention they showed a Ninjago movie short before the movie and it was freaking hilarious). So here is the first stop in the tour, and hopefully I get the next few chapters out before Christmas *internal screaming*.**

 **Here we meet my OC Bri's family. It's crazy. That's all I have to say.**

After copious amounts of carpool karaoke, they were finally at the Knightly residence. As they unpacked, Bri felt a snowball hit her in the back of the head. She turned to see her 14 year old stepbrother, Oliver, whistling innocently.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now." She gathered up some snow and chased him around the house. The others watched with a mix of humor and confusion on their faces.

"I guess we're at the right place." Nya said.

"Yep." Cole said sat they saw Bri and Oliver reappear as Bri tackled him down.

"Do you concede, good sir?" She asked in a fake British accent.

"Never." He said as he flipped them around.

"Sabrina!" The two were then tackled by Oliver's 6 year old sister, Brenda. After a little bit, all three got up and then hugged.

"I missed you both." Bri told them.

"I knew I heard something." On the porch was Bri's stepmom, Macy. "Do you guys need help bringing things in?"

"I'm sure we've got it, Macy. Thank you though." Bri told her as she pried away from her step siblings to start unpacking.

Once the group was inside, they were awestruck by Bri's home. It was very well decorated for Christmas, with lights and tinsel along the walls. The only thing not very decorated was the large tree in the living room.

"You sure do decorate well, Macy." Bri told her.

"I can't take all the credit. Your father also helped a great deal. The kids, too. And we saved the tree for when you arrived, don't worry."

"Thank you." Bri said.

"Is that who I think it is?" Bri's father, Jeffery, finally made an appearance. He walked to his daughter and enveloped her in a hug.

"Hi Daddy." She reciprocated. "Daddy, this is my roommate Nya," Nya waved and smiled, "my good friends Zane and Jay," both just nodded in acknowledgment, "and my boyfriend, Cole."

"It's nice to meet you sir-" Cole was interrupted by a hug from Jeffery. He looked over at Bri who shrugged.

"Good to finally meet you, son. Sorry to hear you were in the hospital this summer." Jeffery said as he broke the hug and shook his hand.

"Well, pneumonia is a pain in the-"

"Cole." Bri interrupted him before he could curse in front of her stepsister.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Anyway, you guys can take your stuff upstairs." Macy told the group. "Girls are in Bri's room, guys in the guest room."

Bri grabbed her suitcase and led Nya to her room upstairs while the guys followed Jeffery.

* * *

Sabrina hung an ornament on a branch as she watched her stepsister try to figure out how to get the star on the top of the tree. Brenda was about to grab a chair when Cole came along.

"Allow me." He picked her up and set her on his shoulders. She giggled and placed the star on top.

"Thank you, Cole." She told him politely.

Oliver went up to Bri. "So when's the wedding?" He whispered.

"What?!" She whispered back.

"He just got the "Brenda Approval." Same thing happened with your dad. He's a keeper."

"Okay, first off, Macy and Dad are grown adults."

"So are you."

"I'm 19! I'm still in college!"

"But do you want to marry him?"

Bri looked at her boyfriend as he interacted with her family. He sure did fit in. She fantasized about marrying him often, but she knew that she wanted to get her degree first.

"That's a conversation for another day." She whispered to her brother.

"Is everything okay?" Nya asked them. "Why are you whispering?"

Bri placed the ornament she had into her stepbrother's hand before walking to her roommate. "Oliver's just being weird."

Nya nodded, not fully convinced. But she thought nothing else of it before going to talk to Jay.

Cole walked over to Bri and wrapped his arm around her. "Everything okay?"

"Yep." She leaned up to kiss him.

"Dinner's ready!" Macy shouted from the kitchen where she and Zane had been working.

The couple groaned.

"We cannot catch a break." Bri said.

"That's what happens during the holidays."

* * *

After dinner, Jeffery called Cole to help him with the dishes. Alone.

'I'm a goner,' Cole thought as they got started.

"So. Bri tells me you're a music major like her." Jeffery started.

"Yes sir."

"Performance or education?"

"Education." Cole answered. His father wanted him to do performance, but he felt that wasn't his path.

"Interesting." Jeffery still hadn't looked him in the eye. "And your plan?"

"Graduate from NU, get a teaching certificate, and find a choir teaching job."

"Good plan." Things were silent as they scrubbed the dishes. Until Jeffery broke the silence again.

"How does my daughter fit into the plan?"

'Sh*t.' Cole thought. He remained silent for a minute.

"Do you love her?"

"More than anything, sir." Cole told him honestly.

"Do you want to marry her?"

"Yes, but I want to wait until after graduation."

"Good."

Once again, Jeffery took Cole into a hug.

"You hurt my daughter, I'll rip your lips off."

"I would never do that sir."

"Welcome to the family, then."

They broke out of the hug and Jeffery shook Cole's hand. He then left him in the kitchen alone as Bri walked in.

"You okay?" She asked, seeing her boyfriend standing there in shock and confusion.

"Yeah." He said, not fully recovered yet.

"Guys! We're playing Apples to Apples! You want in?" Macy called from the living room.

"Come on." Bri led Cole out of the kitchen, causing him to come out of his stupor.

 **Is it weird I love torturing them? XD**

 **Yes, I censored that word. I'm not even comfortable saying it, much less typing it (except for in front of my best friend or when I'm by myself and driving).**

 **Anyways, I promise next chapter will get some Jaya action (then again, it depends on your definition of action).**

 **Before I go, I might as well tell you what the majors are: Cole and Bri are doing Performing Arts, Jay and Nya are doing Science and Technology, Zane is doing Medicine, Skylor is doing Business with a minor in Photography, Kai is doing Business, Luna is doing Psychiatry, Lloyd will do General Education, Maria will do Criminal Investigation, and my mystery characters will do Art, Nursing, and Sci-Tech.**

 **See you again soon, till then, this is Gold Medal Ninja.**


	3. Operation Jaya

**Two chapters in one day? I'm on a roll! If only I cared about school deadlines this much. XD**

 **No seriously, I really hope to get this done before Christmas.**

 **ANYWAYS, here we see Operation Jaya action, what's going on on Skylor's end of things, and another romance (!). Who is it? You'll see.**

 **Oh, and there are some sensitive topics ahead, considering Chen, but it's not explicit. We just hear how his life affected other characters.**

About three days into the trip, the group had taken Bri's siblings on a trip to the ice rink. Everyone was awestruck at the giant tree in the center that reached at least three stories tall.

"I've never done this before," Nya admitted while strapping on her skates.

"You're in good help." Bri said as she watched Oliver guide Brenda into the rink, helping her keep her balance. Zane was already doing laps around the edge, occasionally spinning.

"You'll be a natural," Cole assured her as he took Bri's hands and they started skating. Neither could skate too well so they held each other tightly.

Nya sighed. She tried to stand up, but lost her balance. She was about to hit the floor when someone caught her.

"Careful." Jay told her. She chuckled as he led her to the rink.

Jay slowly led Nya towards the other edge of the rink and held her hands as she tried to maintain her balance. Slowly, but surely, she was soon doing laps with the rest of them.

'Hey, I'm getting the hang of-'

At least until she bumped into Jay after he stopped. Caught off guard, both fell, Nya landing on top.

'So much for being a natural.' She thought to herself.

"Well, this is awkward." Jay said as they locked eyes. Time seemed to slow as the space between them closed, their lips inches apart-

"ALL SKATERS CLEAR THE RINK!"

"Make way for the Zamboni!" Cole called out.

They opened their eyes in realization and got off each other in a hurry. Nya skated away, leaving Jay to wonder when their moment would happen.

* * *

Conversation between Zane Julien and Luna Adana: 1:08 AM

LA: U awake?

ZJ: can't sleep

LA: neither can I

LA: how's the trip?

ZJ: well, Jay is currently avoiding Nya out of embarrassment, Bri sprained her wrist slipping on ice, and Bri's stepsister won't stop asking when Cole and Bri are going to get married.

LA: omg. That is too hilarious.

LA: the sister, not the sprain or Operation Jaya failing

LA: what happened?

ZJ: well, Bri was attempting to do a spin like I was and she hit a bump in the ice and fell on top of her hand.

LA: to Jaya.

ZJ: oh.

ZJ: they almost kissed.

LA: what

ZJ: then they called us off the rink for the zamboni

LA: that's awful

ZJ: I know. He's devastated.

ZJ: how's everything at your place?

LA: well, for some reason my mom and sky are talking privately and won't tell me what's going on

ZJ: I'm sure they'll tell you eventually

LA: doubt it.

LA: I miss you

ZJ: I miss you too.

LA: when are we gonna tell everyone about us?

ZJ: eventually. I just don't want them to freak out

LA: neither do I. That's why we're keeping it a secret for now

LA: but I will tell my mom if I get the chance

ZJ: ok

ZJ: sorry to cut this short, but jay has told me, and I quote, "Zane, if you don't shut your phone off, I'm going to shove it down your throat." I will talk to you in the morning. I love you

LA: I love you too

* * *

Three days later, the gang all got ready for their next stop. Bri gave a goodbye hug to each member of her family, promising she'd be back on Christmas Eve. She then got into the car.

"Cole, can you help? I can't work around the sling." She asked as she struggled with her seatbelt. Cole rolled his eyes and helped. "Thank you boo."

"Uh huh." Cole told her. "Next stop, the Brookstone household!"

About fifteen minutes in, Jay was looking through Chirp when a certain chirp caught his eye.

"Uh oh. Skylor's pissed."

"What?" Bri took the phone from him and read the post.

" touchtheSky

I hate my father even more now. Why do I have to be his daughter? How many lives has he ruined?"

"Yep. She's angry. I'll call her." Bri said as she grabbed her own phone and dialed her number.

'What.'

"Nice to here from you, too. What's up?"

'My father was a serial rapist who ruined a lot of people's lives. Including Luna's mom.'

"What?"

'Yeah. See my problem?'

"What are you going to do?"

'Plan a visit to Kryptarium to yell in his face.'

"That's the last thing you need to do."

'Then what do you suggest?'

"Talk it out with Ms Adana and Luna. It will be fine. I have to go."

'Bri-'

"Bye."

Bri hung up. "Well, she met another victim of her father."

"You're kidding." Nya said.

"I'm not. Ms Adana was a victim. I'm just glad that madman is finally in jail."

"We all are." Nya agreed.

 **Bri is me, I am Bri. I once was ice skating at a rink very similar to the one I described above (The Galleria in Dallas), and this guy was taunting me for hanging on the edge. So I let do, and long story short I twisted my ankle real bad and hobbled like a pirate for a few weeks.**

 **But enough about my time in elementary school! Yeah, torturing characters is something I have a weird habit of doing. Probably not going to break it, though.** **So next chapter, we meet Cole's fam. I know, we spent too little time with the Knightlys, but I want to finish this story by Christmas.**

 **So yeah. Gold Medal Ninja signing off.**


	4. Don't Stop Believing in Love

**Two days before Christmas, and I'm almost done with the Christmas arc of this story. Finally.**

 **So we meet Maria in this chapter. Not Lou or Melissa (Cole's other sister) yet, but they come next chapter. Just an FYI, in this world, Cole's family is half Italian, quarter French, and quarter Korean. I'll get further into that next chapter, but for now enjoy.**

 **Journey owns the song used, not me.**

After a bit more idle chat, Cole stopped in his driveway.

"We're here!"

Upon entering the house, things were quiet. Which seemed odd to Cole.

"Anyone home?"

"Living room!" A voice rang through the house. "Manolo!"

All of a sudden, a small grey schnauzer came bounding down to the group. The dog yipped as Cole got down to its level.

"Hey, Manolo! I missed you!" The dog proceeded to lick Cole all over the face. Then it went to inspect the others.

"Manny, down." A brunette teenage girl with thick rimmed glasses approached the group. The dog did as it was told. "Nice to see you, big bro."

"Nice to see you, too, little sis." Cole hugged his sister. "Guys, this is Maria, the older of my two younger sisters. Maria, this is my best friend Jay, my other best friend Zane, my girlfriend Bri, and her roommate Nya."

"Nice to finally put names to faces, especially the girl my brother hasn't shut up about since he came home last summer." Maria said as Cole rolled his eyes at her comment. She then noticed the sling holding Bri's arm. "What happened?"

"I landed on my hand ice skating. It wasn't pretty."

"Ouch." Maria winced.

"Where are the others?" Cole asked.

"Melissa has a competition in Amaryllis tomorrow. They'll be back tomorrow night."

"Crap. Forgot about that." Cole facepalmed.

"No worries. You guys want to go do karaoke? I'm meeting some friends there."

"We don't want to impose." Nya told her.

"Nonsense. I told them you were going to be staying here and they said it was cool." Maria waved her off. "Now, boys are in Cole's room, girls in the guest room. We'll head out around six."

* * *

Bri groaned as Maria's friends all flocked around her boyfriend. Well, they were doing it to Jay and Zane, too, but it was making her mad that they were oblivious to his rejection of their "advances."

"In hindsight, they did specifically ask if my brother was coming along." Maria sat down next to her.

"What?"

"It's obvious you're jealous. You've been staring at them and muttering death wishes for the past five minutes."

"Oh." Bri blushed.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm disappointed that they forgot about the rant I gave them when they first met Cole."

Bri laughed.

"How long have you two been together?" Maria asked next.

"Well, we met last December. We started dating in January, made it official in February."

"Wow." Maria chuckled to herself.

"What?" Bri asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but for the longest time I thought my brother was gay."

Bri, who was taking a sip of her drink, proceeded to choke.

"What?" She managed to get out.

"He never showed interest in girls when we were in school together. Although then again, he never showed interest in guys either, so I guess he could've been asexual."

"Actually I'm sure I'm demisexual." Cole said as he approached his sister and girlfriend.

"How'd you escape the piranhas?" Bri asked.

"I just told them that I needed a drink." Cole said as he called over the waiter.

"They are still going googoo eyes on you." Maria said.

"I have an idea." Cole then cupped his girlfriend's cheek and kissed on the lips. Maria laughed as her friends suddenly became disgusted and moved on.

"Who's next for some karaoke?" The DJ shouted from the booth.

Cole and Bri broke the kiss in annoyance, but then smirked at each other.

"Shall we?" Cole asked as he gestured to the stage.

"We shall." Bri took off the sling and grabbed his hand. A short argument later ("The doctor said I don't need it. I'm wearing it so people know to avoid that area."), they were on the stage.

 _'Just a small town girl_

 _Living in a lonely world...'_

"Oh great." Maria said as she sat with Nya. "This is his go-to song."

"Cool." Nya said, not really paying attention. She was irked at the teen girls going after Jay.

"I know that face. Do I have to go tell them off for you?"

"Huh?"

"I just had this same talk with Bri. I know jealousy when I see it." Maria told her. "That your boyfriend?"

"No!" Nya exclaimed before calming down. "No. He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet."

"Excuse me?"  
"Yet. You want him to be your boyfriend. It's painfully obvious."

"Is it?" Nya blushed.

"I go to school with a bunch of lovesick teens. I know these things. What's stopping you from asking him out?"

"Um," Nya paused. What was stopping her? A flashback to the ice rink came up and the feelings of fear returned. "I need to use the bathroom." She said to escape.

Maria just sat there with a confused look on her face. Deciding not to linger on it, she went to go sing.

 **Yeah, if Nya seems OOC in this story, just you wait. I will reveal why next chapter. I am uploading to the end of the Christmas arc today, so keep an eye out, especially since Fanfiction has started this thing where if you update a story twice in 24 hours, it will only appear as if you updated the first time that day (at least on mobile).**

 **Gold Medal Ninja**


	5. Christmas Carols

**Second to last chapter of the Christmas arc! Yes!**

 **So we meet Lou and Melissa this chapter, and we get to see why Nya and Jay are avoiding each other. I hope you enjoy.**

 **I do not own the song used in this chapter, and I have no earthly idea who does, so if someone knows and can tell me, that'd be great.**

The group still had about six hours before Lou and Melissa were coming back, so they decided to pay a visit to the mall. The guys were currently at the jewelry store.

"Why are we here?" Jay asked Cole as they approached the display.

"I need to get something. You didn't have to tag along."

"Eh, got nothing better to do." Jay shrugged.

"Well if it isn't Colton Brookstone." The three men turned to see a dark haired man from behind the counter come towards them. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Nice to see you, too, Hank. Collins University not work out?"

"No, I'm just here for the holidays. This is my parents' store. What brings you by?"

"I need to pick up a gift I ordered for my girlfriend."

Hank stared before laughing. Then he noticed Cole's annoyed face. "Oh you're serious."

"What do you mean?" Cole asked, even though he already knew the answer and was praying that Zane and Jay had wandered off.

"I, I mean, the entire school, thought you were gay."

At that point, Jay started crying with laughter. Even Zane let out a few chuckles.

"Oh man," Jay managed to get out, "I totally see why everyone thought it. It would explain- AAAH!" Cole interrupted him with an elbow to the rib cage, which only led to Jay continuing to cry in laughter on the ground.

"Anyways, do you have an order for me?"

Hank looked through the cards in the order folder until he found the one before going to the drawer behind the counter and pulling out a small box. "I assume this is it?"

Cole peeked inside, grinned, and closed it. "Perfect. Thank you, Hank."

Hank then turned to the other guys. "If you guys have special ladies in your lives, feel free to check out our selection. We have a special necklace deal. Personalized charm necklaces for 30." He pulled out a small display of charms.

Jay looked at the display until one caught his eyes; a red and blue dragon. He remembered Nya telling him about her love of dragons as a child.

"I'll take this one." He picked up the dragon.

"Excellent choice." Hank took it from him and grabbed a silver chain and a small box, carefully stringing the necklace and placing it inside. Jay paid, took the box, and went to go grab a pretzel at the Auntie Anne's next door, Cole not far behind. Zane watched as his friends left before turning to Hank.

"Are there any other branches of this store?" He asked.

"Sure, Ignacia, Jamanikai-"

"Is there a way I could place an order to be sent to this address in Jamanikai?" He handed Hank a slip of paper.

"No problem. What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"Nya, can we ask you something?"

Said girl turned to see Bri and Maria behind her. They were currently in Forever 21.

"Sure. What's up?"

"What's the deal with you and Jay?"

That caught Nya off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You've been avoiding him since the ice rink." Bri said.

"You avoided my question at the karaoke place." Maria brought up.

"And it is very clear you like him." Bri finished.

"Of course I like him, he's my friend." Nya said.

"Not what I meant."

"He likes you, too. What's stopping you?" Maria asked again.

Nya sighed. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"

Maria led the group to a dressing room. They sat Nya down as she began to tell them her story.

"Yes, I like Jay, but I'm terrified of dating anyone at this point. This whole thing with Kai has put up walls I never wanted up."

"Who's Kai?" Maria asked.

"Her biological brother who she hasn't seen until this year. He treated her like an ass and she lashed out at him. Your brother actually gave him a black eye, it was hilarious." Bri began to chuckle until she saw Nya's glare. "Sorry."

"I'm afraid that Jay will treat me differently if we start dating." Nya said.

"Okay," Bri sat next to Nya. "I've known Jay for almost a year now. Let me just say he's terrified of dating cause he doesn't want women to find out he's a huge nerd. But he really likes you and is terrified you'll start treating him differently, too."

"I would never do that."

"Neither would Jay."

Nya took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Great." Maria clapped her hands together. "Now that that's settled, let's go to Hot Topic."

"What?" Bri asked.

"Hey, I still need to get shopping done."

* * *

"Manolo, down!" Lou said as he entered the house. "Maria! We're back!"

"Living room, Papa!"

Melissa was the first to enter the room, her eyes trained on one individual. "Nicolo!"

Cole braced himself as his 13 year old sister tackled him. He hugged her back.

"Nicolo?" Jay asked while laughing.

"This is an Italian family. What do you expect? We all have ridiculous names." Maria told him. "Cole, why don't you introduce your friends?"

"Right." Cole pried his little sister away before he introduced the guests. "Dad, this is Zane and Jay, my two best friends, Nya, my girlfriend's best friend, and Bri, my girlfriend." When her name was called, Bri went up and slipped her hand into Cole's before extending her other one.

"It is very nice to meet you, sir. The Royal Blacksmiths were my favorite group as a little kid." She managed to get out without hyperventilating.

"Wonderful to meet you, too my dear. How did you manage to capture the heart of my son?" Lou told her while shaking her hand.

"No offense, but it was he who captured my heart." She kissed Cole on the cheek while Cole blushed.

"Maria, I thought you said Cole was-" Melissa was telling her sister before Cole interrupted.

"Okay! No more of that! I'm most definitely not!" Everyone in the room giggled at the Brookstone sibling squabble.

"How about some carols?" Maria asked. "You guys interested?"

"Cole has told me that you have an impressive set of pipes, Bri." Lou agreed.

"Well, I mean, sure, but I'm not-"

"Bri, calm down." Cole whispered to her.

"Right." She took a deep breath. "I would love to sing."

After a bit of rearranging things, Lou was playing the piano as Bri got ready to sing.

 _"I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love_

 _Even more than I usually do_

 _And although I know it's a long road back_

 _I promise you..."_

Everyone was in awe of Bri's voice as she sang I'll be Home for Christmas, especially Cole. Sure they were in the music program together, but he never got tired of her beautiful voice.

During the performance, Nya and Jay traded glances. They hadn't talked about their feeling yet, and based on a talk with Maria earlier ("the house may be huge, but there will always be someone intruding on something") it wouldn't happen for a while. But she didn't let go of her hope.

As for Jay, he had talked with Zane and Cole earlier and told him to just be himself. He was worried about not being the right guy for Nya, but now that some of his doubt was released, he really wanted to talk (and knowing Jay, talk and talk and talk) to her.

When Bri finished her solo, she took a little bow as everyone clapped.

"Bri, that was marvelous. You really are wonderful."

"Thank you, Sir." She said before fainting. Everyone rushed over.

"Is she okay?" Melissa asked.

"Yeah, she's just having a major fangirl breakdown. She'll be fine." Cole said as he picked her up.

And to this day, Bri still hasn't gotten over the complement one of her favorite singers gave her.

 **Again, Bri is me. And poor Cole. I'm sorry, but I bet we have all thought he was gay at some point. I mean, Bri has been an OC of mine that's his girlfriend since Ninjago came out, but I still would probably believe it.**

 **ANYWAY, enough of me rambling, next chapter is the last of the Christmas arc before we meet the Walkers (and two of our mystery characters)** **and spend New Year's with them. Then we spend the rest of break with Nya's foster family (the Garmadons) and that will be it! I hope to get to writing more of the college AU soon (actually I do have the first chapter or so written, so I don't know what's stopping me from posting it).**

 **I'll get that last chapter out soon, but till then, this is Gold Medal Ninja**


	6. Christmastime is Here

**Happy Christmas Eve, y'all! I'm glad you took the time to read this as you rush to get your Christmas fics done.**

 **In all seriousness, THANK YOU. Y'all made my Christmas reading this.**

 **So we see the start of Jaya working to get together. It took me forever to not make this chapter incredibly cheesy, but I hope it works.**

It was now two days before Christmas. Jay and Zane had taken a Lyft to the junkyard to help Jay's parents prepare for Christmas, leaving the girls and Cole at the Brookstones.

"So have you talked to Jay yet?" Bri asked as she finished packing.

Nya groaned. "No. We haven't had a moment alone all of this trip. Every chance we get to talk someone starts chaos."

"Hey, I told you several times I'm sorry about the snowball fight yesterday." Bri deadpanned.

"I didn't say anything about that."

"I know you were thinking it. Did you give him the gift you got him?"

"I was too nervous and left it in his suitcase when he wasn't looking. As well as a note."

"That's a start."

Nya was about to retort when Cole knocked on the door. "You ladies ready to go?"

"Just a minute!" Bri closed her suitcase before grabbing something out of the pocket and stuffing it in her purse. Nya also closed her suitcase until she noticed a small gift box and an envelope inside. Quickly pulling it out and putting it in her purse, both girls left the guest room.

"Dad, I'll be back in an hour!" Cole shouted as he left the house with the girls.

He dropped Nya off at her house first, which was 20 minutes away, then took Bri to her house. After walking her up to the porch, he stopped in front of the door without knocking.

"I figured now would be a great time to exchange gifts." He told her.

"I thought so, too." She pulled a smallish package from her purse and watched as he opened it. Inside was a framed painting of a gorgeous mountain and forest. "I know how much you love the Forest of Tranquility and Mount Jago, so when I found this at a thrift store, I immediately thought of you."

Cole grinned as he hugged her. "I love it." He pulled a small box out of his pocket when they broke away. "Here."

Bri opened it and gasped. Inside was a necklace with a single charm. The charm was a combination orange bass clef and purple treble clef forming a heart.

"Cole, this is amazing. I love it." She said as Cole took the necklace, turned her around, and put it on her. When she turned back around, they gazed into each other's eyes lovingly.

"Merry Christmas, Bri."

"Merry Christmas, Cole."

They locked lips in a very passionate kiss. Bri wrapped her arms around his neck while Cole held her hips, pulling her against him.

Unknown to them, the door opened, Oliver stepping outside. He just stared for a while before going back inside and shouting.

"Jeffery! Your daughter is ravishing her boyfriend out here!"

It wasn't until Jeffery cleared his threat that the couple broke apart, looking very embarrassed.

"Well then. Cole, thank you for returning my daughter safe and sound. Have a merry Christmas. Bri, inside please."

Bri obliged, but not before giving Cole a quick peck on the cheek.

Cole, meanwhile, walked back to the van, a triumphant smile on his face.

* * *

Before anyone else was awake on Christmas morning, Nya sat alone in her bed messing with the small box left in her suitcase. How she had managed to hold herself back from opening it as soon as she got home was a mystery, but here she was now, almost afraid to open it.

She decided to look at the envelope first. Upon opening it, she immediately recognized Jay's handwriting.

 _'Nya, I don't know how to explain this, but I think I'm in love with you. I know, subtle, huh? But there is no other explanation. I think about you everyday. When you are with me, I feel complete, and away from you I am empty. I'm sorry about avoiding you after the ice rink, but I am honestly scared that if we start dating, you won't like what you see. The guys told me that's utterly ridiculous, but Zane isn't even in a relationship yet and Cole is a perfect ladies' man no matter how many people think he's gay. Okay, I know I'm rambling, but I just want you to know that I want us to be more than friends. You don't have to answer this right away, but I have a serious question to ask you._

 _Nya, will you be my girlfriend?'_

 _Jay'_

Nya smiled as she put the letter down and opens the box. Inside was a necklace with a red and blue dragon charm. She grinned wildly as she put it on and thought about what she had to tell Jay.

"NYA! WAKE UP! IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

She jumped as Lloyd banged on her door and shouted before running in the other direction, presumably to go wake up their parents. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

 _'Jay, what to say to you._

 _First of all, I'm sorry about running away after the ice rink incident and avoiding you for the past week. I'm honestly scared. The whole thing with Kai has screwed with my trust. My father lied to me about an uncle I never knew existed. I don't know what to think about my relationships anymore. I hope you can understand that._

 _But I'm not going to let it stop me from finding love. That's right, Jay Walker. I love you._

 _It's funny that one four-letter word can have such an impact. It makes you feel helpless around those people you share it with, it causes happiness, but also fear._

 _I'm not going to let this fear stop me. I want to be with you, Jay._

 _Love, Nya'_

Jay almost couldn't stop himself from shouting for joy. Nya loved him. She really did.

He left the Star Wars pocket watch she had gotten him on his bed as he exited the trailer. Upon getting outside, he did a legit backflip and shouted "hallelujah" loud enough for the whole world to hear.

Or at least his parents.

"Jay, if your going to do that, please wait until everyone is awake next time!" Edna shouted from the trailer.

"Sorry, Ma!" He shouted back, still giddy.

* * *

Conversation between Zane Julien and Luna Adana: 7:04 AM

LA: Zane, you shouldn't have.

*LA sent a picture*

LA: how did you know that turquoise was my favorite?

ZJ: it's the color you always wear, dear. Merry Christmas.

LA: Merry Christmas! ;)

 **And a Happy New Year! Time to start the New Years arc! 0_0**

 **Zane got Luna one of those hanging crystal necklaces in turquoise. Example: images/search?q=Natural+Crystal+Necklace &view=detailv2&&id=F701484E2EE6EA7CFC2A2FC0E823BA118C6A5834&selectedIndex=1&ccid=duuSaCvI&simid=608027135421581024&thid=OIP.M76eb92682bc8f00cc2d348381ff92872o0**

 **Now that this is done, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, whatever you celebrate, have fun celebrating!**

 **Gold Medal Ninja**


	7. Secrets Revealed

**2016 just needs to die already. We need a break.**

 **If you don't know what I'm talking about, Carrie Fisher is dead, and I took out my grief by stabbing a sheet of paper with '2016' written on it with my lightsaber.**

 **But enough about that, let's continue the story! We get to finally hear about one of the mystery characters! Yay!**

Ahh, December 27. The day where you hadn't fully recovered from the Christmas hype, but enough to stop obsessing over everything. And the day where traffic was excessive in the city.

Luckily, this didn't stop our crew from reuniting at the next stop in the Great Christmas Tour: Ed and Edna's Scrap and Junk (or according to the sign, Crap and Junk. They really need to fix that).

As Jay and Zane waited outside, the cars arrived one by one.

The first, in a taxi, was Bri. The bubbly blonde was once again sporting a sling, which she explained later was her brother's fault, but it didn't stop her from hugging the two boys tightly with greetings of a "late merry Christmas."

The next was the minivan with Cole. He parked it then proceeded to go up to Bri to kiss her. After a quick clearing of the throats of Zane and Jay, he went to hug his "brothers".

The last taxi arrived, revealing Nya, who sported a huge smile on her face as she walked up to hug her roommate and then Jay. They stayed like that for a while until Nya lifted her head to whisper in his ear. His face lit up with a huge smile as she leaned up to kiss him, which he happily reciprocated.

"That's new." Bri said.

"Hey, at least they're together now." Cole said.

Zane didn't say anything. He was too busy texting Luna and Skylor the news.

"Jay! Are your friends here yet?" Ed came out of the trailer looking for his son, only to see him making out with a girl he hadn't seen before. "Edna, get the camera! Jay's kissing a girl!"

"Ed, leave the poor boy alone." Edna came out and cleared her throat, interrupting the couple. "Aren't you going to introduce us?" she said to Jay and Zane.

"Uh, sure." Jay straightened his coat. "Ma, Dad, this is my best friend Cole, his girlfriend Bri, and," he took a deep breath as Nya grabbed his hand, "my girlfriend Nya."

At that point, Ed and Edna rushed down to shake hands with Nya.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! Jay has been telling us about the girl he had a crush on for a while now, and it's nice to finally see he finally asked you!"

"Ma!" Jay seethed while Nya blushed.

"Anyway, you three can stay in the guest trailer. Ed, show them the way."

* * *

Dinner that night was interesting, to say the least. Ed and Edna decided to tell all of Jay's baby stories. Jay had sunken in his seat as Bri, Cole, and even Nya laughed. Even Zane let out a few chuckles even though he had heard these stories before.

"Alright sure, laugh at the nerd's expense. Go ahead." Jay muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, Jay," Bri said while wiping her eyes, "we all have embarrassing stories. If it makes you feel better, I fainted at my dad's wedding."

"And I once tried to film myself playing my guitar and ended up with a broken string thwacking me in the eye." Cole said.

"Don't even get me started about the time I was caught fighting with Lloyd and my dad filmed the entire thing. He showed it to my relatives later."

This helped Jay feel better a bit. So they ended up telling embarrassing stories that night at the table. The mood was jovial, until...

"Jay, I almost forgot. I got clearance for your sister to come celebrate New Years with us!" Edna announced.

Jay did a spit take, as the guests stared at him confused.

"Jay, what's she talking about?" Bri asked.

"Yeah Jay, what is she talking about?" Cole repeated.

Jay groaned. "Okay, this was going to happen sooner or later, and as much as I was hoping for later, I guess we are doing this now."

"Get on with it, Jay." Cole said.

"So I found out this summer I was adopted." Everyone's eyes widened. Ed and Edna placed a hand on each of his shoulders. "My dad wasn't able to take care of me, so he left me here. I found out about it this summer after finding the note he left my parents. They gave me his address, and I found him."

"Who is he?" Nya asked.

"Cliff Gordon."

This time, Bri did a spit take. "THE Cliff Gordon?"

"Yes. I only met him twice. Then the accident happened."

"Yeah. I remember that. My stepsiblings are huge Fritz Donnegan fans. They were devastated." Bri looked back at the three weeks she had to take care of her siblings while their parents were on their honeymoon last summer. "I could barely coax them out of their rooms."

"What are you guys talking about?" Cole asked.

"Cliff Gordon was involved in a fatal car crash last August. Afterwards, I had gotten a letter from a rehab facility about the girl who was with him, his daughter. She had found him after her foster parents died and had stayed with him for a few weeks. She survived the accident, but she was paralyzed." Jay took a deep breath. "Her name is Lillie Gordon, she's almost 18, and I visit her at the rehab facility when I can, cause technically I'm her legal guardian until February."

"And you just told us this now because?" Cole asked.

"Hey, when it happened, you were in a coma." Jay pointed out to Cole, who shrugged. "I was going to tell you at the beginning of the year, but then Nya came and I didn't want to..." Jay trailed off, embarrassed. Nya rubbed his back as he put his head in his hands.

"It's okay, Blue Boy. We understand." She told him.

"Yeah, no sweat, Lightning Mouth." Bri said. "We all have damage. It makes us human."

Jay grinned. He loved his friends. "When is she coming, Ma?"

"Three days. She'll be thrilled to meet you guys."

 **Yeah, this wasn't originally in the plan, but then one day my sister and I were talking about OCs, and she brought up old ones from when Ninjago first came out 5 years ago. Lillie was originally Kai's love interest (see Coming Home), but then we kinda started talking and made her new. So next chapter we meet Lillie and another character. Who is it? You'll see.**

 **Anyways, 2017 better not be as big an asshole as 2016 was, and if it is, well then we are all SCREWED.**

 **Till next chapter, this is a very upset Gold Medal Ninja.**


	8. A Try at Normalcy

**And at this point 2016 can go *crash in the distance drowning out the rest of that sentence***

 **But here we meet Lillie and the other mystery character. So be ready for that.**

 **But I should warn you about the fact that there are gay characters in this chapter. If you don't like that you can leave. But I suggest you stay, cause I have a surprise. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **(One more note, this story is set in the end of 2014, so I took stuff that came out around then to add to this chapter.)**

"So, you think she'll want to do this?" Nya asked as she was screened.

"I mean, I know we aren't due to get her until tomorrow, but I figured she could use another day to act like a normal teen." Jay said as they went to the visiting area.

"We better hurry. I'm sure Bri and Cole haven't stopped making out since we left them in the car." Zane said.

Jay took a deep breath as Nya took his hand. "It'll be okay. I guarantee we'll like her."

"Okay." Jay was trying not to panic.

* * *

Lillie had just come back to her room from physical therapy. Immediately she wheeled over to her desk, grabbed her sketchbook, and moved to her bed. She lifted herself up onto it and began to work on a new sketch. At least until a certain intern came in.

"Sugar, you have- hey are you okay?" A young short-haired blonde in pink scrubs walked in. "You have your pouty sketch face on."

"I'm fine, Sonny." Lillie said, not looking up.

"Is this about the application again?" Sonny asked while sitting down on her bed. "Lil, you'll get in. If I got in, you can do it."

"You're a nurse intern, I'm a crippled orphan." Lillie lamented.

"Who happens to be a gifted artist." Sonny took the sketchbook and flipped to a page with a purple lily. "There's no reason for you to not get in."

Lillie sighed, blowing a strand of her blue hair out of her face. Pushing her glasses up, she looked at Sonny. "What would I do without you?"

"Be miserable for the rest of your life." They laughed as Sonny broke the space between them in a kiss.

"Sonny, what if someone sees us?" Lillie said between breaths.

"I already told my boss, she's very supportive of us. She says that love is love." Sonny brushed off her girlfriend's worries.

"Didn't you have something to tell me?" Lillie asked.

"Right." Sonny broke away, pushing a strand of hair back. "You have visitors."

"Visitors?" Lillie was confused. "As in, multiple?"

"Yep. A redhead, a black haired girl, and a very handsome ice prince." Sonny said as she helped Lillie into her wheelchair.

"Dude."

"Hey, I'm bi. I can notice a person is handsome and still be attracted to you, dear."

* * *

Jay continued to fidget as they waited for Lillie. Nya was trying to calm him down, and Zane was texting someone. Who? They didn't know.

"Jay!" Looking up, said man saw his younger sister with a surprised smile on her face.

"Hey, Lils!" He went over to hug her. "How have you been?"

"Bored as heck. Thank you for your gift, by the way." She said as she pulled a purple flower clip from her pocket and put it in her hair.

"Well, it was no trouble." Jay said as he gestured to the group. "You obviously know Zane."

"Yes, hello Zane." Lillie waved.

"And this is my girlfriend, Nya."

"When did that happen?"

"This week." Nya said.

"Anyways, we're going to the movies and wondered if you want to come." Jay told her.

"Can I bring Sonny?"

"Who's Sonny?" Zane asked. The nurse intern behind Lillie smiled.

"Sonny Thomas. Intern assigned to Lillie and her girlfriend."

Jay stared at his sister. "When did this happen?"

"Three months ago." Lillie shrugged.

"Anyways, as long as I stay with Lillie, I'm free to go with you guys if you want." Sonny said.

"We'd love for you to join us." Nya told her.

"Awesome. I'll get us signed out."

* * *

Upon going back to the car, the gang spotted Bri and Cole making out in the front seats as predicted. The door opening brought them back to the real world, and after introductions, they were off to the mall.

"So what movie are we seeing?" Lillie asked.

"The new Disney one, Big Hero 6." Bri replied.

"Oh, I heard that was amazing." Sonny said.

"Then we are exploring the mall. I hear that everything is still discounted." Nya said, laying her head on Jay's shoulder.

"I hope it's not too much for you to handle. Just let us know when you want to- Cole you missed our turn!" Bri chastised her boyfriend.

"Relax, I know what I'm doing." Cole responded.

They began arguing as the other five in the car looked on.

"Is this normal?" Lillie asked.

"Pretty much." Zane said.

* * *

An argument over popcorn sizes, a giant cry, and an exploration of the mall while speculating about the movie later, the gang was taking Lillie and Sonny back to the center.

"Thank you for letting me hang out with you guys today. I had a lot of fun." Lillie said.

"We totally need to hang out more at the school next year." Sonny told them, leaving them confused.

"What are you talking about?" Jay asked.

"At the university!" Sonny said while Lillie facepalmed. "We'll be going there next year!"

"Sonny, I haven't even gotten accepted yet. Please stop making assumptions." Lillie lamented.

"Please, I know you'll get in. You're very talented." Sonny reached for her hand.

"What major are you going for?" Nya asked.

"Art."

"You're an artist?" Bri asked. Lillie nodded. "That's so cool! I hope you get in!"

"I hope so, too."

Jay's phone buzzed with a text. "Sorry guys, but my dad is saying that he needs my help finishing the surprise for tomorrow."

"What surprise?" Cole asked.

"I'm not saying. That's why it's a surprise!" Jay bent down to hug Lillie. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I can't wait."

 **I can't wait either. Hehehehehehehe**

 **Anyways, if you read Coming Home, you remember an army nurse named Marisol. Well, I revived her to make Lillie's girlfriend after my sister suggested that I make Lillie lesbian. Lillie was my sister's first, so I obliged. I called her Sonny instead because of the fact that I have another OC named Maria and it would confuse my brain, and _sol_ is sun in Spanish, so yeah.**

 **Congratulations, if you made it to this point, you get to find out about my last mystery character! Drumroll, please!**

 **dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadada**

 **It's Echo Zane!**

 **Well, kinda. You see, when I thought about adding Echo, I remembered a teacher I had who has a daughter whose name is Echo, and the pieces fell into place. Echo Julien is the younger SISTER of Zane, a sci-tech major like Jay and Nya, and as for meeting her, well... I need to get the semester before this story out, and it's quite a doozy, and then I need to write the story of her and Zane meeting, the 2015 spring semester, and then she will officially show up in the story with Lloyd, Maria, Sonny, and Lillie in the 2015 fall semester. I know, it's a lot, especially when you are in college yourself.**

 **Okay, I'm done for now, I will try to get the Walker New Year's Bash chapter out before 2017 starts, although I am going out of town tomorrow and not getting back until late on the 31st, and... that's it.**

 **Okay, NOW I'm done. This is Gold Medal Ninja signing off.**


	9. Go Off with a Bang

**Happy 2017, y'all! Was going to try to get this out yesterday, but I had a wedding to go to (where I cried it was so lovely), and then we had a 4 hour drive home (not lovely at all especially with elevation changes that happen on a drive from Oklahoma to Texas), and then I didn't even make it to midnight cause I was exhausted. And it really doesn't help that my brain decided to come up with yet another Ninjago AU (that will probably never see the light of day) while we were in the middle of the woods, but it was a great trip.**

 **So here's a short New Year's chapter! Enjoy!**

It was 11:45 on New Year's Eve. The Walkers had spent all day getting ready to start the new year off with a bang. At the moment, Jay and Ed stood near a tarp covering their surprise, waiting for everyone to come out and witness the spectacle about to happen.

At last, Sonny and Lillie came out of the guest trailer, which Jay took as his cue.

"Ladies and gentlemen, on this fine New Year's Eve, we welcome you to join us in starting 2015 off with a true bang!" Jay and Ed ripped the tarp off to reveal a huge amount of fireworks. "Every year, the Walkers make our own display of fireworks, and hopefully this year it will work!"

"Wait, this hasn't worked before?" Bri asked.

"Yeah," Ed rubbed the back of his neck. "That's why we launch it in the desert, as far away from here as possible."

"Or as long as the ignition will go," Jay held up a lever like the ones used to light dynamite. Upon seeing the worried faces of his friends, Jay tried to ease the tension. "Don't worry, as long as we are over here in the junkyard, we are safe."

"10 minutes to midnight, y'all! Who wants crumb cake?" Edna called from the kitchen.

"Cake?!" Cole perked up. Bri rolled her eyes as everyone started laughing.

* * *

11:58. Two minutes. Ed was driving their golf cart back after taking the display far away from the junkyard. Everyone had their eyes on Jay as he held the igniter.

"Resolutions, anyone?" Edna asked.

"I want to finally get a job." Bri started.

"I want to talk to my family more." Cole.

"I want to try to work out my family situation." Nya.

"I want to come out to my parents." Sonny.

"I want to make new friends." Jay.

"I want to be more open to people." Zane.

"I want to have a good experience at Ninjago University." Everyone stared at Lillie as she smiled and nodded. "I found out yesterday."

The gang cheered as Ed came rushing back. "15 seconds!" He announced.

Everyone waited in anticipation, clinging to their partners.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

Ed slammed the igniter down as everyone watched, waiting for something to happen.

But the fireworks flew into the air before exploding, spelling out '2015' in the air. Ed and Jay jumped for joy before turning to their lovers.

Jay and Nya locked lips immediately.

Ed and Edna gazed into each other's eyes before kissing.

Cole picked Bri up and spun her around before pulling her into a kiss.

Sonny bent down to Lillie's level and kissed her sweetly.

And Zane just stood by awkwardly as everyone kissed their partners. Until his phone buzzed.

 _Message from Luna: Happy New Year! XOXO_

And it was all worth it.

 **Short, I know, but I had literally no other ideas for it.**

 **I hope that 2017 is a great year for you guys and I will see you soon with the last arc of this story where we meet Nya's family (the Garmadons for those who don't remember). Till then, this is Gold Medal Ninja.**


End file.
